Public health systems aim to protect and improve the health of communities through coordinated efforts in disease prevention, health promotion, and access to quality healthcare. A persistent challenge for delivering healthcare solutions is the lack of functional, fit for purpose, and well operated Pharmaceutical-Grade Warehousing (PGWH). An essential, but often invisible, aspect of this important work is the global supply chain for goods and supplies that supports this critical work. Procuring, shipping, storing, and delivering health products, vaccines and other healthcare materials to populations in need is a complex and dynamic global logistical challenge.
Essential components of these infrastructure networks are PGWH facilities. They provide critical national- and subnational-level support to healthcare systems around the world. Many existing facilities are undersized, non-pharma-grade, ad hoc, and/or otherwise detrimentally inadequate. In other places, modern warehouse facilities are simply entirely absent. The need for suitable warehouse facilities that enable compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) Guide for Good Storage Practices (GSP) are pragmatic, adaptable, and resilient is substantial and context specific.
Evaluating and Planning for Pharmaceutical-Grade Warehousing (PGWH): Aligning Space & Quality Needs with Construction
This platform, Construction Development Guidelines for Pharmaceutical-Grade Warehouses, provides guidance about how to strategically propose, evaluate, plan (design), build, and operate PGWHs in LMIC contexts that are functionally optimized, operationally efficient, and technically appropriate.
Undertaking any building (capital) project is a complex and sequential process that requires functional, spatial, financial, legal, operational, and organizational alignment between many parties, who are often working together for the first time. This is true for new construction as well as refurbishments and additions to existing facilities. While each capital project is unique, the entire development process benefits from being operationalized by applying objective international best practices for both processes and outcomes. Recognizing this, it is critical to approach each project with a comprehensive perspective, ensuring that design and functionality extend beyond construction to encompass the full spectrum of operational requirements to prevent common pitfalls and enhance overall efficiency. This approach substantially reduces risk for all parties by establishing and maintaining clear expectations, and increasing accountability and transparency, cumulatively increasing the likelihood of a successful warehouse delivery process and product.
This guide provides high level strategic guidance and detailed technical information for the development of PGWHs:
Logistics outsourcing guidance
Logistics Marketplace
This global good empowers the health and humanitarian sectors to discover, assess, and engage logistics providers
